Port governance and cooperation: The case of Japan

Abstract

This paper looks at the various patterns of port cooperation in connection with the governance structure of ports. Literature review shows that recent port studies have mainly focused its attention on the port competition and the necessary port governance to win it. However, we also find some other elements of port effectiveness in the recent literature in terms of cooperation/coordination/integration, port cluster concept and harmonization. The authors question the paradigm of profit-making ports in connection with their corporatization, which may have lead port managers to fall into construction wars with unnecessary investment. Instead of competing with each other, can ports cooperate? If so, how can they? In order to answer these questions, the authors first suggest the typology of port cooperation and next examine it through the case of Japan. It is meant that the description of multi-faceted port governance cases of Japan will discover some tips for more effective port management with cooperative methods. The specific case of the Suruga Bay Port shows one of the rare cases of multi-port management, and displays an intriguing style of cooperation, coordination and integration. The strategy first define a clear concept of role-sharing among the three ports, and, next, draws up a general action plan, which is divided into commercial and construction programs. The final stage is set on the regional spatial planning, which covers all transportation infrastructure, industries and tourism. This case introduces a generalization of the port cooperation issue in conclusion.